JUNE 2023 KEY FINDINGS:
NATIONAL INSIGHTS:
-
Job ad volumes decreased 2.3% month-on-month (m/m) and are 22.1% lower year-on-year (y/y).
-
Applications per job ad increased for the fourth consecutive month, rising 2.9% from the month prior*.
STATE & TERRITORY INSIGHTS:
-
New South Wales (-3.0%), Queensland (-3.4%) and Victoria (-1.7%) drove the overall decline in job ads in June.
-
Tasmania recorded the largest rise in job ads, increasing 3.2% m/m.
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS:
-
Four industries recorded a m/m increase in job ads: Government & Defence (5.8%), Farming, Animals & Conservation (0.9%), Sport & Recreation (0.8%), Community Services & Development (0.3%).
-
The industries which contributed most to job ad decline in June were Hospitality & Tourism (-5.7%), Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics (-4.5%) and Healthcare & Medical (-2.6%).
*Applications per job ad data is recorded with a one-month lag. The data referred to in this report is May data.
Of the June data, Kendra Banks, Managing Director, SEEK ANZ, says:
“Job ads have been moderating over the last few months and have softened further in June with a 2.3% decline month-on-month. The economic climate, combined with financial year-end, were likely significant factors impacting employers’ appetite for hiring in June.
“Applications per job ad continue to grow healthily and are now almost exactly on par with June 2019 levels. This indicates increasing interest among candidates and is partly a result of declining job ad volumes.
“Despite the economic outlook, and perhaps due to rising costs of living, more candidates are looking to make a change and are hitting the apply button on new opportunities – most notably for roles in warehouses, administration, and the airline industry.
“Most industries are recording an increase in application activity, with popular roles in Aged Care & Disability Support, Childcare and Automotive Trades.”
NATIONAL INSIGHTS
Job ads fell by 2.3% m/m, and are now 22.1% lower compared to June last year, when ad volumes were coming off their peak. Job ads have declined for five consecutive months, dropping 7.5% since January, yet remain 18.2% higher than June 2019.
Applications per job ad have risen eleven of the past 12 months, and increased 2.9% from April to May. Volumes are now almost exactly at June 2019 levels.
Figure 1: National SEEK job ad percentage change m/m June 2022 to June 2023
Table 1: National, state and territory and metro/ regional job ad growth/decline comparing June 2023 to: i) May 2023 (m/m), and ii) June 2022 (y/y).
Figure 2: Major state job ad trends: June 2019 to June 2023
Index: 100 = 2013 avg
STATE & TERRITORY INSIGHTS
The largest states along the eastern seaboard drove job ad decline nationally, with New South Wales dropping 3.0%, Queensland falling 3.4% and Victoria decreasing 1.7%.
After recording the largest drop in job ads in May, demand for talent in Tasmania rebounded in June, with job ads rising 3.2%, the greatest increase recorded nationally. The Australian Capital Territory also recorded slight growth in job ad volumes, rising 1.0% m/m.
Apart from the Australian Capital Territory, job ads in all states and the Northern Territory are recording higher job ad volumes than pre-COVID.
Applications per job ad grew in all states and the Australian Capital Territory, but not in the Northern Territory where it declined 13.3% in May. Job ads in the Northern Territory rose in May, when most other states and territories recorded a decline, likely driving down these applications per job ad.
Figure 3: National SEEK job ad percentage change by state: June 2023 vs May 2023
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
All but four industries recorded a decline in job ads in June: Government & Defence (5.8%), Farming, Animals & Conservation (0.9%), Sport & Recreation (0.8%) and Community Services & Development (0.3%).
The Hospitality & Tourism industry led the overall decline in job ads (-5.7%), followed by Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics (-4.6%) and Healthcare & Medical (-2.7%).
Applications per job ad rose in most industries, most notably by 8% in Trades & Services, Informaton & Communication Technology, Engineering and Consulting & Strategy.
Applications per job ad for Information & Communications Technology roles are now all but at peak levels, likely as a result of the large number of downsizing and restructuring announcements being made across the industry over the past year.
Figure 4: National SEEK Job ad percentage change by industry (June 2023 vs May 2023) – Ordered by job ad volume
MEDIA NOTE: When reporting SEEK data, we request that you attribute SEEK as the source and refer to SEEK as an employment marketplace.
-ENDS-
About the SEEK Employment Report
The SEEK Employment Report is Australia’s leading employment index and provides a comprehensive overview of the Australian Employment Marketplace. The report includes the SEEK Employment Index (SEI) which measures only new job ads posted within the reported month to provide a clean measure of demand for labour across all classifications.
Note: the SEI June differ to the job ad count on SEEK’s website due to a number of factors including: 1) seasonal adjustments applied to the SEI; 2) the exclusion of duplicated job ads from the SEI; and 3) the exclusion of Company Listings (included under Company Profiles) from the SEI.
Disclaimer: The Data should be viewed and regarded as standalone information and should not be aggregated with any other information whether such information has been previously provided by SEEK Limited, ("SEEK"). The Data is given in summary form and whilst care has been taken in its preparation, SEEK makes no representations whatsoever about its completeness or accuracy. SEEK expressly bears no responsibility or liability for any reliance placed by you on the Data, or from the use of the Data by you. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately.
